Chapter 86: Undercurrents Surging, Seeds of Disaster Germinating

Outside the window, leaves shivered in the breeze, whispering a dry, rhythmic rustle as a few withered yellow ones, no longer able to cling to the boughs, spiraled slowly to the earth. Birds, much like sparrows, hopped along the branches, pecking at unseen morsels.

Autumn had long since settled in, and the air grew steadily colder; both Sewentan and Alastrelle were kingdoms bordering the northern ice fields.

Sewentan’s winters were perhaps the more grueling of the two, and in autumn, the biting winds from the Saint Anna snowfields arrived here earlier than elsewhere, plunging the kingdom into a premature chill.

Yet, in contrast to the bleakness and cold outside, the room felt secure and comforting, with its clean, slightly austere design—bookshelves, stools, and a desk—all furnished with a refined, antique simplicity.

The room, which might have felt cavernous and bare, was instead imbued with a profound character, packed to the brim with books that covered every surface, from the floor to the towering shelves.

One could discern the traces of careful maintenance; a narrow path had been cleared toward the door, the only space left for a person to set foot.

A wrinkled hand adjusted a golden monocle, revealing eyes that were startlingly clear and limpid, a stark contradiction to the aged face. Long, graying hair, dry and curled, hung unkempt, casually swept back by its owner so as not to obstruct his reading.

The old man was deeply engrossed in the book before him, his focus absolute; the vast collection surrounding him had done nothing to dampen his fervor for the written word.

Knock, knock, knock. The door was pushed open before the old man could respond.

A young man entered, his hair a similar shade of soft curls, though his was jet-black and lustrous with youth. His eyes were equally bright, the emerald irises holding a peculiar, sharp intelligence.

Unlike the old man, the youth appeared drained; thick, dark circles were painted like pigment around his eyes, his complexion unnaturally pale, and his gaze betrayed an undeniable, heavy fatigue.

"Oh, Alyosha, how goes it?" the old man asked casually, unbothered by the intrusion.

"Grandfather, neither too good nor too bad. Our plan was a success; several squads from the Abyss Gate have successfully infiltrated Alastrelle."

"Though many were rooted out by the Royal Guard and the Blades of Night, we successfully provided the Source of Life with the 'nutrients' it required. Given time, its maturation will be complete."

"Not enough. That is barely enough to satisfy the requirements. The Royal Research Institute is growing increasingly dissatisfied with how much of their resources this old man consumes."

"Though we operate under their banner, and the Abyss Gate and other soldiers believe we are allies, we know the truth. Also, do not call me Grandfather. 'Mr. Roland' is better; I prefer that title."

The old man set his book aside and looked at the exhausted youth. Though his expression was kindly and smiling, it exerted immense pressure on Alyosha, whose back was soon damp with cold sweat.

Alyosha knew exactly what kind of man this biological grandfather was. All those maddening things were his doing, and at times, Alyosha wondered if, beneath the shell of this learned and wise old man, something truly twisted lay hidden.

"Yes. The subsequent situation is complex, so I have only stated a portion; I will explain the rest in detail."

"Speak."

Alyosha took out the papers he had prepared, scanned the contents, and began to recount them to the old man with rapid precision.

Alyosha spoke at a breakneck speed. Despite the old man’s age—an age where one would expect his hearing to be failing—he never once interrupted or asked the youth to slow down, listening in silence to the bulk of the report.

The report was filled with good news and detailed findings, much of it concerning the old man’s own research, which caused the corners of his mouth to lift slightly.

At the end, Alyosha paused. "Mr. Roland, there are two more important pieces of intelligence."

"Hmm."

"Do you remember the Abyss Gate squad leader responsible for the liaison within Alastrelle? The one named Odit? The 'God-Gifted' vampire you tasked him with was a success; the Source of Life responded to the prayers and corrected the vampire’s defects."

"Oh? Is that not good news? And hardly worth reporting to me."

"But he failed. The vampire was surrounded and slaughtered by a standard unit of the Blades of Night. Odit himself has gone missing—confirmed missing, not dead. He is alive, but no one knows where he has gone."

"Did the Abyss Chain oath not trigger?"

"It did not. Perhaps he has not betrayed us, but has conceived some other, better idea to pursue in secret," Alyosha suggested.

"You overlook a possibility: he may have gone mad. When one is mad, the shackles of an oath vanish."

"How is that possible? With the chains you gave them, linked to those 'Gods,' how could they go mad?"

"You are too presumptuous. Those 'Gods' are not worthy of the name; they are merely a group of powerful void creatures, nothing more than larger fragments I picked out from the remnants of that existence."

"No matter how powerful they seem to you, they are forever incomplete and uncontrollable. Do you understand?"

Without waiting for a response, the old man continued, "Take, for example, the entity representing the Night. What was the result? The chains shattered, and even His 'believers' forgot His name. That is a defective product; at some point, it simply 'collapsed.'"

"A true god does not die." The old man glanced at Alyosha, his eyes holding an indescribable depth. Alyosha instinctively looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

"That Blades of Night squad is quite elite. A vampire that has overcome the sun is not something an ordinary squad can handle. To be killed by them, and with Odit nowhere to be found... it seems the Blades of Night are stronger than I imagined. Pay closer attention to all their squad movements from now on."

"Yes," Alyosha replied.

"Next."

"There is news regarding the Great Library you asked me to monitor. It is about to close."

"Hmm?" The old man’s spirit surged at the mention of the Great Library. The once languid figure sat bolt upright, the book cast aside entirely. He tapped his knuckles against the desk, lost in thought. His posture and vitality were nothing like those of an old man.

"Our mole sent a special message saying he may have discovered a 'key.' If I recall correctly, this is the thirteenth."

"Ha... finally. The gate that belongs to Him is finally about to open. The legacy that fellow left behind for so many years has kept me waiting so long."

The old man let out a wild, uncharacteristic laugh before suppressing it with his hand, followed by a whisper no one else could hear.

"You didn't hear anything, did you?" The old man muttered to himself, then suddenly turned to Alyosha, asking abruptly.

"No, nothing..." Alyosha’s heart trembled violently. He shook his head in a panic, gesturing to the small magical device hanging by his ear.

"Not bad. A small silencing array. Good, you are sensible. Remember, I can have many grandsons. Keep this up, and you will be rewarded. I do not wish for you to end up like the others. At least, for now, you satisfy me."

"Give him whatever he wants. Research materials, yes? Give him everything, but mark the knowledge that is highly corruptive. Do not let him end up like his father—researching until he went mad, only to be killed by his own knights and nearly exposing us."

"I only want that key. Tell him to send the intelligence as soon as he has the materials. I must hold that 'key' in my own hands."

"By the way, has the 'key' hiding in the atrium been found? Make them work faster. We are only two short. I cannot let that old thing in Alastrelle gain an advantage over me. I must have what lies behind that door."

"Yes! I will have the family speed up the search immediately. He cannot hide for long," Alyosha nodded frantically.

"Go. Do not disappoint me. And I repeat: do not bother with those so-called etiquettes here."

"Your fawning only shows your lack of confidence in fulfilling my demands. That set of polite, evasive nonsense brings me no satisfaction."

The old man waved him away, then added, "Oh, and remember what I said."

"Yes!" Stiffening, Alyosha abandoned the noble etiquette he had studied for years and broke into a run, fleeing the old man’s study.

Panting, Alyosha’s mind was still haunted by the flash of scarlet fire in the old man’s eyes when he had looked up, and by the memory of those 'keys'—limbs severed, soaked in vats, kept alive by special potions and devices.

He did not know what Mr. Roland wanted, only that he needed to collect thirteen keys in total.

And those keys seemed to correspond to specific people. In Alastrelle, there existed someone similar to Mr. Roland, also searching for these people they called keys.

Thirteen keys. The number echoed in Alyosha’s mind. A historical document he had studied in his family library as a youth surfaced from the corners of his memory.

"The Wizard God closest to the Void, Ro..." His teeth bit into his tongue, cutting off the thought. He grabbed a handkerchief and covered his eyes.

"I see nothing. I see nothing. I see nothing." He repeated it three times until the memory of the book blurred.

Exhaling, Alyosha abandoned all speculation and curiosity, quickening his pace to execute Mr. Roland’s orders. Cold sweat left glistening beads on the wooden floorboards behind him. To think of nothing, to be curious of nothing, to pry into nothing—this was the secret to Alyosha’s survival.

...

A carriage sped along a dirt road in the wilderness. The twin horns on the heads of the two horses and the faint sparks upon their hides betrayed their hybrid nature.

The hybrid blood granted them unparalleled strength, their hooves thundering as they pulled the heavy, metal-reinforced carriage.

Inside, Zig looked at the briefing transmitted via magic, a faint smile on his face.

"Not bad at all, Wang Yu, Edward. You successfully resolved the chaos planned by the Abyss Gate in a single day."

"And the enemy’s special creation—a 'Blessed Vampire' with the physical prowess of a high-ranking official knight—was killed without a single casualty, thanks to your correct on-the-spot judgment and coordination."

"Though this report is clearly written by Charles Reid, filled with self-aggrandizement, he was honest enough to credit Wang Yu, Edward, and even the soldiers."

"Hmm. And Wang Yu’s friend, Avia. Charles praised her reaction time and magical ability highly. For a man like him to say such things, she is not simple. If there is an opportunity, I should have Wang Yu recommend she join us."

"In the end, Charles seems to believe this report was meant for your eyes, as he keeps mentioning me, a mere civil servant, every chance he gets."

"He claims that since I don't have to fight, I don't need so much pay, and since I'm nowhere to be seen these days, he hopes you'll dock half my salary and give it to him for his tireless report-writing."

Zieg tucked the report away, showing no sign of anger; that was just Charles, always acting out every few days—it would be abnormal if he didn't.

"The others are fine, but that brat just needs a lesson. Let them handle the rats in the sewers. Professor, give me a list of the potential moles later; I will investigate them myself."

Shugin, pipe in mouth, sat across from the Professor, listening to Zieg summarize Charles's field report.

Zieg smiled helplessly; he didn't know why, but "Professor" had become their exclusive title for him. Still, it wasn't bad; at least he didn't dislike the identity.

"Also, Charles mentioned that Avia has suspicions about the orphanage on the outskirts. During the time Elfin possessed the vampire, they happened to be holding an outing nearby. They've already gone to investigate; we should have news soon. Oh? News is here."

Zieg recalled what Charles had mentioned at the end—that he personally didn't believe there was any connection, but for the sake of caution, he had gone to investigate with Wang Yu and the others.

As Zieg spoke to Shugin, by sheer coincidence, the magical transmission arrived. Infusing the crystal with mana, Zieg read the content appearing on its surface...

……

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" At the orphanage on the edge of the city, Wang Yu and Avia stood in the archives at the center of the building, flipping through files. Edward stood nearby, questioning Charles, who was lost in thought while clutching a Wheel of Fortune tarot card.

"It really seems fine. The magic of the Wheel of Fortune tracks the trails left by the 'transcendent.' In other words, if it isn't reacting, then no transcendent power has appeared here within at least a week."

Charles stared at the inert card, confirming his answer to Edward after double-checking.

"Wang Yu, did your secret sense detect anything?" Avia closed the file in her hand, confirming that the orphanage staff list matched the people they had seen assisting them; there were no discrepancies.

Shaking his head, Wang Yu noted that he had scanned the bodies of the orphans and staff with his ripples; there were no issues—no traces of magic, divine arts, or void power.

"Perhaps my guess was wrong, but a divine descent always requires a medium, like the small statue you gave me, Wang Yu. How could it happen directly?" Avia’s expression was troubled.

"Unclear, but for now, that seems to be the case. It's alright; miscalculations are normal. If anything, your caution is exactly what we need."

Wang Yu patted Avia's shoulder; he didn't think her suspicion was a wasted effort. Firstly, there was a connection, and secondly, the investigation hadn't been a waste of time.

"It seems fine for now, so let's go." Wang Yu signaled to Charles and Edward.

He noticed the two were still hesitant. Charles was staring at the unresponsive Wheel of Fortune with disappointment, even though he hadn't believed there was a link between the orphanage and Elfin in the first place.

"I feel like I've forgotten something." Charles scratched his head, but he quickly recovered; whatever he had forgotten couldn't be important—at most, it was a fleeting glance or a trivial, accidental encounter.

"Forget it, let's go, Edward." Charles pulled at Edward. Since they had investigated thoroughly and found nothing, baseless suspicion was just inviting trouble.

Nodding, Edward followed Charles's lead and left the archives. As he walked out the orphanage gate, Edward looked back once; he felt something was off, but unable to pinpoint it, he eventually let it go.

……

At the entrance of Stevenson Magic Academy, a middle-aged knight looked at the girl holding a suitcase, his eyes filled with paternal love.

"Vanessa, you are an excellent girl. Seize this opportunity well. As for me, there isn't much I can do, but this spot at Stevenson Academy is a small privilege I had before retirement. I hope it helps you go further."

This middle-aged knight was the very one who had escorted Vanessa to the orphanage during the chaos in the Wall District.

He had never been able to stop worrying about this poor, sensible girl, keeping in touch and caring for her ever since. He had also discovered Vanessa's intelligence and aptitude for magic.

Though her talent as a spellcaster didn't seem overwhelming, Vanessa learned everything quickly; she could memorize knowledge after studying it for only a short while. Apart from being somewhat reticent, she satisfied the knight in every way.

Taking advantage of his impending retirement, he had applied for a recommendation spot from the Night's Edge headquarters, hoping to help the poor girl go further in the future.

"Thank you, Uncle Klaus. I will work hard. Let's keep in touch." Vanessa gave the middle-aged knight a hug and walked into the academy under his kindly gaze.

Deep within her pupils, a gelatinous substance pulsed once before falling silent. An imperceptible ripple of mana surged; inside the suitcase, a source-less flame ignited, and a file was slowly and thoroughly burned to ash.

"Vanessa, one of the survivors of the Wall District disaster, born in..."